FlyBitcoin

Has anyone else noticed that the lines for the Sky Priority bag drop at ATL main terminal have gotten considerably longer over the last 6 months?

Has anyone taken bags out the main doors to the curb instead of staying inside? I had to do that once but would rather not make it a habit when I arrive at the terminal other than at the departures curb.

Weekend Away

I flew out of Atlanta last Friday morning. Ended up taking my bags to the standard line behind the SP line as it was mostly empty. Took just a few seconds. The SP check-in counters were understaffed and slammed.

I've encountered the SP security lane being similarly, either understaffed or just not operated correctly. The general lane is faster 75% of the time.

Disappointing really.

btonkid12345

Completely agree. I have vented about how poorly ATL manages SKYPRIORITY and how they used to be a model hub but have dropped so much recently in overall performance.

I usually like going to the hidden downstairs check in, but the hours of that seem to have been reduced.

I am happy to use SkyCaps if there is no line.

Other threads where I have vented about this: Atlanta SkyPriority security lane - now opens at 8 AM?

vincentharris

Yep 9 times out of 10 I just go to one of the regular lines as there is either no or little lines. ATL overall is a joke, and I have vented over the years that as their global HQ it should be a shining star not a dud.

lost_perspicacity

details on the hidden check in?

FlyBitcoin

I guess ATL is their shining star when it comes to testing stuff like facial recognition since the people responsible for such testing sit in a building across the runways.

But when it comes to spending money on manpower, that is not dictated by one's hometown but the level of one's competition. And you think the higher fares charged from ATL instead of originating in GSP, BHM, or JAX could cover a couple extra employees at check-in.

Look at the bag drops at LAX or the NYC airports. Linear arrangements where employees float to make sure that long lines in one section are best handled. The diagonal islands at ATL check-in don't allow for that kind of cooperation and sharing of staff. So each little island is understaffed and it is up to the traveler to move from island to island to distribute the load. Terrible systems engineering there.

JB1000

btonkid12345

This. Lots of Silver Medallions here believe they can use SP which also clogs.

Honestly I've recently gotten better service going to a non-SP line; I assume the agents there see less DMs and are more in "awe" / willing to work harder to help

The agents at SP are jaded half the time from so many elites that they could care less about status (once had one argue with me that domestic SDC required the same ROUTING....I asked this is DL, not AA right?)

plinko83

This is a joke right? In awe? Good lord. If there's one thing I've learned about flying Delta, and I've been everything from Diamond to general member, is that almost every employee generally wants to help customers. The front-line agents in the SP bag drop in Atlanta (or anywhere else) don't want it to be clogged. They aren't trying to make your life more difficult. Yes, in every bunch there is one or two bad apples, but maybe that person is just having a bad day. Let me be clear - I am in no way a DL apologist. When they screw up, I call em out. Call a spade a spade. But to think that an agent working the regular SP line would be in awe of someone who has DM status is maybe the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard on FT.

FlyBitcoin

I, for one, am not criticizing the agents themselves. I am criticizing the understaffing, and the physical isolation of teams on islands. I think those agents who don't have to work the understaffed SP check-in are probably happier. I don't expect anyone to be in awe of me just because I show up with status.

They may be in "awe" (and a tad embarrassed... because they do care about us) of a situation where their own company cannot staff properly and the passengers have figured that out before management can, and a DM shows up in a regular line.
They may be in "awe" of someone who chooses to voluntarily reject a "benefit" because it makes their travel day start better, not because of who they are to achieve such status.

btonkid12345

Exactly this. The non-SP lines encounter fewer DMs and, IME, when I have come upon them, they have been nicer, more welcoming, and more accommodating than any of the SP agents

FlyBitcoin

Bringing this thread back to life.

ATL ops did 2 things since the last post: Moved the SP bag check-in closer to mid-terminal (no real help except that now the often shorter general bag check area is in plain view), and increased the number of counters dedicated to "bag drop" from 8 of 16 to 10 of 16. The remaining counters go to "special services".

A few months after the SP bag check counters were altered to occupy 10 of 16 podium spaces, those 10 slots are woefully understaffed with as few as 3 people actually working and checking bags. Moreover, these dedicated "bag check" podiums are often handling more complex ticketing issues further tying up the lines. It has been worse than ever during my last 3 trips to ATL main terminal. There is no reason for two agents to have to collaborate so frequently when strictly doing "bag check" duties at ATL. They have a gatekeeper at the line whose job it is to put the "special services" people in the right line.

Their treatment of SP passengers checking bags at ATL is again worse than any other hub or outstation I frequent, by a wide margin. An outstation like PHX has 2 staffed SP lanes, JFK has 6-7 staffed with little wait. LAX has 5-6. I have never seen more than 5 staffed at ATL and when I do, one person seems to just be typing away the entire time. The norm is 3-4.

vincentharris

But they can? It says it on the signage and they got rid of the FO only check in area probably well over a year ago now in ATL

vincentharris

to help all the folks here understand ATL better instead of doing a multi quote, NOBODY at DL cares about you in ATL. ATL is a government sanctioned super hub for DL and if you ever played GTA V and hear the FLY US commercials in the game that is how DL thinks of ATL. It all started when a lot of local and national news people (including a very famous money expert) swore up and down that AirTran being bought out by Southwest would do amazing things for ATL. Instead Southwest backed out of every promise they made, within 6 months cut over 50% of the previous service, and since Southwest does not have business (like AirTran did) DL did not consider them competition so they jacked prices up. Why does this matter? Because with no competition DL literally does not have to care about your thoughts in ATL since who else are you going to fly? (DL has also actively fought off a second airport in North GA even though the region badly needs one)

And dont let anyone say its a front line employee problem, its systemic of a top down problem at ATL. If I was a front line employee where 99% of the executives were just across two runways from me you would think people would act the best and it would be the best location because any day you might have to interact with a DL exec and you dont want to get in trouble. (similar to in retail being the closest store to the district HQ etc usually is the best because the execs are most likely coming in) The fact that nobody on the front lines of customer service cares tells you that DL management could care less about "customer service" and (no matter what the marketing dept says to the contrary)